Prosciutto and fig salad a refreshing departure from same old salad

August 01, 2013|Mario Batali

Q: I'd like to make a summer salad but I'm over the "house salad" of lettuce, tomato and onion. What Italian alternatives can I use at this time of year?

A salad of Prosciutto di Parma and figs is simple and classic, light and indulgent. The combination of figs and prosciutto is centuries old -- the salty ham is an irresistible complement to the sweetness of the late summer fig. It is a confluence of deliciousness.

Fig is the fruit of a tree that was first cultivated thousands of years before the Common Era. Fresh or dried, they work well in both sweet and savory dishes.

Figs come in three main varieties -- white, black and red -- with color ranging from pale green to dark gold, golden brown or deep purple, though skin color is little indication of taste. Ripe figs are not juicy in the conventional sense. They have a delicate sweetness and soft crunch (from the seeds) that makes the flavor so versatile.

Figs should be soft to the touch with a pleasant aroma. The fruit spoils quickly and bruises easily, which explains why only 10 percent of the crop are shipped fresh. The remaining figs are dried, canned or jarred. Store fresh figs in a paper bag or shallow bowl lined with a paper towel.

This recipe is all about summer, when figs are easy to find and exploding with complex sweetness. Italians would likely serve figs raw with the prosciutto. This recipe ups the ante. Sometimes I will lightly dress some butter lettuce leaves with extra virgin olive oil and lemon and place a big fistful right on top of this dish for a salad with a surprise!

Prosciutto di Parma with a Grilled Fig-Fresh Fig Salad

Serves 4.

12 fresh black mission or Kadota figs, cut in half

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

12 large sprigs Italian parsley

8 ounces fresh arugula, washed and spun dry to yield 2 cups

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces prosciutto di Parma

Preheat the grill or broiler.

Place 12 fig halves cut side down on the grill or cut side up on the broiler pan and cook 3 minutes, until just lightly browned. Transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool.

Add the remaining figs, rosemary, balsamic vinegar, Italian parsley, arugula and olive oil to the cooled grilled figs and gently mix with your hands so as not to break the figs up.

Divide the prosciutto and serve immediately.

(Mario Batali is the award-winning chef behind twenty-four restaurants including Eataly, DelPosto, and his flagship Greenwich Village enoteca, Babbo. In this column, Mario answers questions submitted via social media and by people he encounters daily in Downtown Manhattan. Keep asking!)